Hero and I are catching an early flight in the morning to visit Handsome Son # 1. He’s in the military so it’s rare, and very special, when we get to see him. (By the way, he’s single and I”m taking applications for a daughter-in-law! Just sign up in the comment box.)

We’ll be gone five days and four nights. When Hero said I should pack only a carry-on so we don’t have to pay for checked luggage, I cried laughed very hard. Can any female pack for a 5-day trip, using only a bag which fits in the overhead bin? Well, guess what. I did it. You might want to keep this on the down-low, though. If word gets around to the male population, it could change the landscape of our culture.

Yes, I packed the minimum this time. But, in the long run, I’m not sure it’s going to save Hero any money. I may have to – ahem – “supplement” my wardrobe at the mall in Raleigh while we’re gone. And for Valentine’s Day, it’s gonna cost him a PajamaGram.

Just in case DM from I Also Live on a Farmis looking, yes, I admit I – ahem – “borrowed” this photo from your blog.How else was I gonna keep it a secret from Winston?See, I needed a visual to entice readers.

Okay y’all, you remember Winston, right? Friday Feature(((If you don’t have her on your blog roll yet, why not?)For a brief recap, Winston is the world’s sweetest girl pig.Or at least the most indulged.Yep, that’s her mailbox in the photo.(No, I am not kidding.)How many pigs do you know who have their own mailing address?

Well, I want to throw a surprise card party for this precocious porkess.And you’re invited.Yep, I think she needs a card blitz for Valentine’s Day…an extravaganza of love poured out via the U.S. Post Office. Let’s overload her mailbox. Let’s shock the mailman. Let’s…have a little fun…

I don’t have the liberty to give her address here but you can get it from: I Also Live on a Farm (by requesting it in the comment box there.) Take your kids to this blog site.Read with them about Winston.Giggle with them at the photos.(She’s letting her hair grow out for winter.)Then send Winston some love (cards) for Valentine’s Day. Who knows, maybe Winston will pose for pics with her mail.

And, would you do me a favor…If you “come to the party,” would you drop me a comment? I’m eager to hear your (and your kids’) comments.

UPDATE: I just got permission to give out Winston’s address, so you can write to me: gracewriter1@hotmail.com or get it by leaving a comment on Winston’s blog: I Also Live on a Farm Spread the word. According to DM, Winston’s been a little lonely lately!

“Be Mine.”These enticing words beckon from T-shirts, mugs, greeting cards…you name it.Probably our favorite place to spot them is on pastel candy hearts; along with other fun expressions like, You Rock, Luv U, Cutie…

Valentine’s Day is a fun and romantic holiday.True, it’s not a day-off-work one, but it is nationally recognized as a day set apart for people to enjoy expressing their love for one another.Like most holidays, though, for some people it can be a day which emphasizes a sense of feeling unloved and alone.

It’s sad when people think they’re important to no one; sadder still to realize how common that sense of desolation is.How it must grieve the heart of God, Who, from the beginning of time has been saying to His creation, “Be Mine.”

In truth, we already are His.He made us.He purchased us with the shed blood of Jesus.The only thing that hinders anyonefrom realizing they are loved is if they do not know about, or accept, the Lordship of Jesus.

No one is unloved.“For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”John 3:16 NIV

Surely you know someone who needs God’s Valentine message.Or is it you?With love, He’s still asking, “Will you Be Mine?”